It has become almost universal practice in good pool table construction to use a thick layer of slate which is shaped to a nearly perfect flat condition before being covered by felt, which forms the actual playing surface of the pool table. The slate can either be formed of a single piece to conform with the finished dimensions of the pool table, or it can be formed in sections and then seamed or joined at the confronting surfaces of the slate sections. The slate is very heavy, but it does provide a hard and durable playing surface. Unfortunately, because of the weight of the slate and the technical difficulties involved in forming a flate slate surface, the pool table is, and has been for some time, expensive to manufacture. Pool is a game which has long enjoyed great popularity in the United States and in foreign countries as well, but unfortunately the cost of providing a slate pool table has put ownership of this item beyond the reach of many people. Slate is, as mentioned, a very popular and satisfactory playing surface, but it is subject to buckling, particularly if water warps the carrying surface for the slate, because the slate does not have the ability to support its own weight, and if the slate-supporting surface should bow, or distort, the slate will crack, particularly in those areas where it is seamed together. Even where the slate is made of a single piece, it will tend to buckle of its own weight, since it lacks a sufficient modulus of elasticity. Because of the heavy weight factor, pool tables are relatively immobile when once set up, as it is difficult to relocate and reset them in a new playing location, and the pool table has to be readjusted to be perfectly flat relative to the support surface of the floor.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a playing surface of tempered glass which is in sheet form and supported rigidly by a substrate so as to provide an inexpensive, lightweight and dimensionally stable playing surface of durable nature, and one which can be easily installed and removed for resurfacing, as the need arises.
Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.